A symbolic ceremony will mark the start of negotiations in Luxembourg, signaling that the two ex-Soviet countries are moving away from Russian influence.
The European Union is set to formally launch accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova after the bloc’s member states gave the go-ahead last week.
The start of negotiations will be marked by a ceremony in Luxembourg on Tuesday. While the process may take years and be difficult, opening the talks will give the pair – particularly war-torn Ukraine – encouragement to continue on their path to leaving their Soviet past behind.
The agreement by the bloc’s 27 members was secured last week despite efforts by Hungary, whose government has close links with Russia, to block the measure.
Tuesday afternoon’s ceremony will be followed by an arduous process, with negotiations only expected to begin in earnest after the EU has examined its legislation to assess the reforms needed to meet the bloc’s standards.
There is no guarantee that the talks will ultimately lead to EU membership. Turkey and several Western Balkan states have spent years in the accession process.
‘European Dream’
However, Russia’s war in Ukraine has reinvigorated the EU’s efforts to expand its membership, much to Moscow’s chagrin.
In December, candidate status was granted to Georgia. Since then, the former Soviet state has been embroiled in a bitter political dispute that Brussels warned could set back its progress.
Still, for Ukraine, the launch of negotiations represents a major boost in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
The conflict dates back to the Maidan uprising in 2014, when protesters overthrew then-president Viktor Yanukovych after he reneged on a promise to develop closer ties with the EU.
Ukraine presented its application to join the bloc shortly after the invasion, in February 2022.
Neighboring Moldova followed closely behind. Russia is accused of trying to oust the country’s pro-Western government.
“These are truly historic moments. Ukraine is and will always be part of a united Europe,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when the bloc’s members signed the start of talks. “Millions of Ukrainians, and indeed generations of our people, are realizing their European dream.”
Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna will lead the Ukrainian delegation at the event, known in EU jargon as the Accession Conference. The Moldovan delegation will be led by Prime Minister Dorin Recean.
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib will speak on behalf of the EU, while Belgium holds the bloc’s main rotating presidency.
Long process
Meetings with Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday will begin a process of assessing how well the countries’ laws already meet EU standards and how much more work there is to do.
The EU then has to start setting conditions for negotiations on 35 issues – from taxation to environmental policy.
It seems unlikely that there will be progress towards the next step in the next six months, when Hungary will take over the EU’s rotating presidency.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
